Monday, July 17, 2006
City vendors' foods unsanitary: agency
By Danilo V. Adorador III
FOOD sold in the streets of Cagayan de Oro has been found to be unsafe, a report from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Northern Mindanao showed.
Of the 13 food samples randomly bought from street vendors in six different locations, 12 were found to be contaminated with two harmful microorganisms
Foods tested comprise mostly of snack foods regularly eaten by school children, the report says.
The report warned that the results of the tests -- conducted at the DOST Microbiological Laboratory last month -- "have grave implications to the safety and well-being of our school children."
"The probability of food poisoning is high...measures should be initiated to prevent such incidents," it said.
City officials who were furnished the report vowed swift action, saying a legislation that would mandate regular test sampling of street-vended foods is underway.
Councilor Simeon Licayan, who heads the Health and Social Services Committee of the City Council, said a proposal to ban sidewalk vendors altogether is also being studied.
An Adhoc committee composed of representatives from DOST, City Health, and Licayan's group was created last Friday to craft an ordinance to address the health hazards of foods sold in sidewalks.
Among the tested foods, buko juice -- commonly sold by ambulant vendors in almost all corners downtown -- yielded the highest amount of fecal coliform count.
Foods such as camote-cue, pineapple slices, tempura with sauce, squid roll with hot sauce, banana cake, biko, egg pie, pork barbecue and deep fried chicken were found to be positive of E.Coli and Salmonella -- types of bacteria classified as "harmful microorganisms.
Ice and iced water were also found to be above the normal coliform count.
The report observes that "even freshly cooked food was contaminated with these pathogenic microorganisms...the duration of the cooking and temperature was not enough to destroy all pathogenic microorganisms."
It adds: "Contamination may also occur with improper handling of food, unsanitary utensils, or unhygienic surroundings, or the packaging materials used."
The team who collected the food samples also observed that street vendors recycled used plastic bags and newspapers as food wrappers."
Among others, it advised the City Government to:
* conduct periodic monitoring of street food specially those near school
* train street vendors on proper food handling tecniques
* regulate the selling of street foods by ambulant street vendors
* come up with legislations that will improve assurance of street foods
The DOST report rings a bell with a case of food poisoning in one of the mall's here recently, in which scores were hospitalized after eating foods from their canteen.
Subsequent investigation confirmed that the foods were contaminated with harmful bacteria.
City vendors' foods unsanitary: agency
By Danilo V. Adorador III
FOOD sold in the streets of Cagayan de Oro has been found to be unsafe, a report from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Northern Mindanao showed.
Of the 13 food samples randomly bought from street vendors in six different locations, 12 were found to be contaminated with two harmful microorganisms
Foods tested comprise mostly of snack foods regularly eaten by school children, the report says.
The report warned that the results of the tests -- conducted at the DOST Microbiological Laboratory last month -- "have grave implications to the safety and well-being of our school children."
"The probability of food poisoning is high...measures should be initiated to prevent such incidents," it said.
City officials who were furnished the report vowed swift action, saying a legislation that would mandate regular test sampling of street-vended foods is underway.
Councilor Simeon Licayan, who heads the Health and Social Services Committee of the City Council, said a proposal to ban sidewalk vendors altogether is also being studied.
An Adhoc committee composed of representatives from DOST, City Health, and Licayan's group was created last Friday to craft an ordinance to address the health hazards of foods sold in sidewalks.
Among the tested foods, buko juice -- commonly sold by ambulant vendors in almost all corners downtown -- yielded the highest amount of fecal coliform count.
Foods such as camote-cue, pineapple slices, tempura with sauce, squid roll with hot sauce, banana cake, biko, egg pie, pork barbecue and deep fried chicken were found to be positive of E.Coli and Salmonella -- types of bacteria classified as "harmful microorganisms.
Ice and iced water were also found to be above the normal coliform count.
The report observes that "even freshly cooked food was contaminated with these pathogenic microorganisms...the duration of the cooking and temperature was not enough to destroy all pathogenic microorganisms."
It adds: "Contamination may also occur with improper handling of food, unsanitary utensils, or unhygienic surroundings, or the packaging materials used."
The team who collected the food samples also observed that street vendors recycled used plastic bags and newspapers as food wrappers."
Among others, it advised the City Government to:
* conduct periodic monitoring of street food specially those near school
* train street vendors on proper food handling tecniques
* regulate the selling of street foods by ambulant street vendors
* come up with legislations that will improve assurance of street foods
The DOST report rings a bell with a case of food poisoning in one of the mall's here recently, in which scores were hospitalized after eating foods from their canteen.
Subsequent investigation confirmed that the foods were contaminated with harmful bacteria.
posted by puretuts at 5:56 AM
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